Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM FEBRUARY 2024 35 FOOTBALL RECRUITING a handful of practices are very strong. Carr is the No. 6 signal-caller and No. 60 overall prospect nationally. — Singer 4. KYNGSTONN VILIAMU-ASA LB • 6-3, 230 INLAND EMPIRE, CALIF. • ST. JOHN BOSCO Rivals ranks Viliamu- Asa as a five-star, which is how Notre Dame would evaluate him if you asked the coaching staff. He's the total package. Physically, he's ready to play from Day 1. As an early enrollee, Viliamu-Asa will make a case to be a contributor as a true freshman. On tape, he's a sideline- to-sideline player who can thump the best of them in the hole. Overall, Vil- iamu-Asa, who is the No. 6 linebacker and No. 63 overall player nationally, is just an elite talent with a high ceiling and is one of the safest prospects in the class from a potential standpoint. — Singer 5. BRYCE YOUNG DL • 6-5½, 245 CHARLOTTE, N.C. • CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN Young 's first schol- arship offer came from Notre Dame in June 2022 and was an outstanding evaluation by the staff. A rising junior at that time, he developed into an immense talent by the end of his high school career, and he still has plenty of room to grow at Notre Dame. Young looks like a create-a-player in a video game. He's still raw as an edge rusher, but has the frame, athleticism and bloodline (his father, Bryant, was an All-America defensive tackle at Notre Dame) to become a standout in a Notre Dame uniform. This kid can do it all. He signed as the No. 8 edge and No. 84 overall player in the land. — Singer 6. KEDREN YOUNG RB • 5-11, 225 LUFKIN, TEXAS • LUFKIN If Notre Dame was looking for an Audric Estimé replacement, it found it in Young. The 5-11, 225-pounder has nearly identical measurables to the 5-11½, 227-pound Es- timé, who declared for the 2024 NFL Draft in December. Much like Estimé, look for Young to really make his mark on the pro- gram as a sophomore and junior. The Irish running back room is among the strongest in the nation, with Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price, Gi'Bran Payne and Devyn Ford. But when Young does take the field for the Irish, expect him to make a major impact. He is the Lufkin Panthers' all- time leading rusher with nearly 4,000 career yards and is rated as the No. 9 running back and No. 109 overall player nationally. — Kelly 7. TAE JOHNSON ATH • 6-1½, 185 FORT WAYNE, IND. • NORTH SIDE After the Notre Dame coaching staff watched Johnson participate in the program's 2022 Irish In- vasion camp, they offered the 6-1½, 185-pounder as a safety. And they ended up being the only school to do so. While Johnson holds an exciting pro- file, it might be a season before he makes a major defensive impact. Johnson is about 20 pounds away from playing at a college-ready weight and is also coming off shoulder surgery. Once he adds the pounds and recovers, expect Johnson to be one of the most electric, athletic and explosive safeties ever to play their col- lege football in South Bend. Johnson is ranked as the No. 6 athlete and No. 172 overall player in the coun- try. — Kelly 8. LOGHAN THOMAS DL • 6-4, 210 KATY, TEXAS • ST. EDWARD (OHIO) Thomas, who is the No. 17 edge and No. 174 overall player in the land, has an intriguing upside. After transferring from Katy (Texas) Paetow to Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward for his se- nior season, Thomas dominated for one of the top high school football programs in America (St. Edward finished its sea- son 15-1 and ranked No. 13 in the country by USA Today). In 15 games, he had 129 tackles (28 solo), 15 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 31 QB hurries, 15 QB hits, 5 passes broken up, 5 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery. Thomas has the ideal vyper end profile. Expect him to thrive once he has the college-ready frame to play. — Kelly 9. MICAH GILBERT WR • 6-2, 205 CHARLOTTE, N.C. • CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN Gilbert is not one of the more talked about players in the class, but he should be. He's an outstanding receiver and a player who has been a big riser in the rankings after a stellar senior year, during which he posted 76 catches for 1,105 yards and 10 touchdowns. He's also a very good safety with his size and instincts. At re- ceiver, he's a competitor who understands defenses well, has strong hands and can contribute in a variety of spots on offense. Gilbert doesn't shy away from con- tact and should earn the staff 's trust early with his blocking. While he might not be a burner, Gilbert — the No. 42 wideout and No. 226 overall player na- tionally — has good speed, runs routes well and is a reliable weapon. — Singer 10. ANEYAS WILLIAMS RB • 5-10, 200 HANNIBAL, MO. • HANNIBAL Williams and his 152 ca- reer touchdowns — which ranks No. 2 in the state of Missouri all time — are headed to South Bend. His parallels to the 5-9, 191-pound former Irish standout Kyren Williams (no relation) are intriguing. Like St. Louis St. John Vianney's Kyren, Aneyas is a true threat in both the run and receiving games. In high school, he had 477 carries for 4,255 yards (8.9 yards per carry) and 177 catches for 3,249 yards (18.4 yards per catch). That type of production could warrant early play- ing time at Notre Dame. Williams is the No. 21 running back and No. 276 overall prospect in the land. — Kelly